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February 2, 2015

Vanilla Macarons #VanillaWeek

Vanilla Bean Macarons are delicate, crispy and sandwiched together with an easy and delicious Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache.

It's officially #VanillaWeek! I am so excited for day 1 of our week-long event. Check out my intro blog post with all the details for the giveaway!. The #VanillaWeek Bloggers and I have some great recipes today, so please head on over to each of their blogs and check them out. We hope you join us throughout the week where we will be sharing vanilla recipes that include breakfasts, drinks, desserts and even savory dishes! Also, don't forget to enter for our big #VanillaWeek giveaway!

I love macarons! Yes, the little cookies with a single "o", not the sweet coconut concoctions your grandmother makes. These little French treats are gloriously delicious and packed with so much flavor in a few small bites. The flavor combinations are endless, as are the fillings.

I chose to go with some simple Vanilla Bean Macarons and Vanilla Bean Chocolate Macarons. These little beauties can cost upwards of $2 per cookie in some patisseries and boutiques, so it's more cost efficient to make them at home. Even though there are a million different recipes online, as well as techniques, photos and videos on how to make them, they can be fickle little beasts. If the conditions aren't right, the measurements are just a bit off, or the pastry chef happens to be sick, while taking care of her sick yet constantly moving, just-learned-how-to-climb-the-stairs toddler in a house without a baby gate that fits the stairway, then you might get a failed batch and want to go cry in the corner of your pantry. Not that I would know anything about the latter...

I have had my fair share of macaron flops, these beauties included. Half of my batches came out good, the other half didn't. It's a hazard of baking macarons - sometimes they won't come out smooth and with perfect little feet. Sometimes they will be cracked or hollow or have sharpie marker ink on the bottoms because you had "mommy-brain" and forgot to turn the parchment paper over before piping. Yeah, that happened.

Luckily with the Macaron Silpat Mat, most of my batches didn't have to worry about getting inked up. This mat fits my jelly roll pan perfectly and has easy guidelines for piping. It is definitely something I am going to take full advantage of when making macarons in the future. Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Vanilla Bean Macarons Directions:
1. Sift together the Confectioners' Sugar and Almond Flour, discarding any large pieces left over. Repeat again and set aside. If making chocolate macarons, add the cocoa powder while sifting.
2. Heat oven to 375F. Place parchment or macaron mat on cookie sheets.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the Egg Whites and Granulated Sugar and whisk by hand until frothy and combined. Using the whip attachment, gently increase the speed until stiff, glossy peaks are formed.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the meringue and gently fold to combine. The macaron batter should take about 35-40 strokes and flow like lava when ready.
5. Prepare a piping bag with a medium round tip and fill it with the macaron batter. Pipe batter into 1/2 to 3/4 inch rounds, about an inch apart, with the tip about 1/2 an inch from the baking mat while piping. Tap the tray onto the counter 2-3 times to get any air bubbles out. Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes or until their shell is slightly firm to the touch.
6. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Once done, let them cool completely before taking off the mat. Store in a container and refrigerate or freeze.

Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache Directions:
1. Chop the Chocolate into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the Vanilla Bean Paste.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the Heavy Cream until it just starts to boil, whisking periodically. Make sure you do not walk away from the cream while it is on the stove, as it can boil over in an instant.
3. Pour the Heavy Cream over the Chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Whisk the mixture together until all the Chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let it sit and come to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 3 hours and up to overnight.
4. After thoroughly chilled, place the ganache into your stand mixer bowl and with the whip attachment, whip it until it is light and fluffy. Place in a piping bag with either a round or star tip and pipe onto half of the macarons. Sandwich them together and serve.

Disclosure: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Bob's Red Mill, Silpat, Quirk Books and Dixie Crystals/Imperial Sugar are providing the prizes free of charge. These companies are also providing the bloggers with samples and product to use for #VanillaWeek. All opinions stated are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Terri, thank you for hosting this event. All of the recipes look so scrumptious, and I can't wait to make them. Your macarons look lovely. I have never attempted to make these - they scare me, but I do love to eat them!

Thanks for participating! A lot of people are scared about them. I try and follow the recipe and then say a few Hail Marys while they bake. Sometimes you fail, sometimes you don't, but you gotta keep trying.

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